The 20 Biggest Momma's Boys in Sports

Mother's Day is a special time when we sit back and reflect on the women who brought us into this world. The sports world is no different, as most athletes have great things to say about their mothers and often thank them graciously during post-game celebrations.

But there are some athletes who take their love a little bit too far, who can't live without the constant approval of their mothers, and that earns them the dubious designation of "Momma's Boy."

20. Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq is one of the most dominant athletes in the history of sports, but he couldn't have done it without his mom, Lucille Harrison.

If you close your eyes and think about Shaq's mom, chances are her face will pop into your head. That means that she's on camera enough to have made a lasting image in your head. That's a sure sign that an athlete is a Momma's Boy.

It's amazing that any human being could give birth to a man as gigantic as Shaq, but Lucille managed. Most people think she's a giant herself, but she stands at nearly six feet tall, which is definitely above average, but certainly not freakish.

Shaq is definitely a Momma's Boy who will do anything for Lucille...well, almost anything.

Howard credits his mother, Sheryl, for a lot of his skills on the court. Sheryl played for the first women's basketball team at Morris Brown College in 1974-75 and says she emphasized defense to her son from an early age.

17. Jimmy Rollins

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The fans of Philadelphia have a love-hate relationship with Jimmy Rollins. The shortstop could do no wrong when he was named NL MVP in 2007, but was being booed as soon as the very next season after calling Phillies fans "front-runners."

No matter how you feel about him, you have to admit he has talent, and it comes from an unexpected place.

According to a story in ESPN: The Magazine, Jimmy Rollins credits his success in baseball to his mother, Gigi. She was a competitive fast-pitch softball player and Jimmy said when he was just seven years old the two would talk strategy about the game.

But Andree said it was good luck and decided to wear the jersey anyway. Of course the Hawks won the game, thereby winning the Stanley Cup, and the celebration on the ice ensued. But Toews got worried when he couldn't find his mother.

It turns out that Andree and the rest of the family were being escorted by security from the stands so it took a little longer, but the fact that in the moments immediately after winning hockey's ultimate prize Toews was thinking about his mother proves that he's a true Momma's Boy.

15. Michael Phelps

The swimmer who famously won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics had a lot of explaining to do, but the hardest part was having to talk to his disappointed mother, Debbie.

Phelps had already used his proverbial "get out of jail free card" when he was arrested for DUI at the age of 19, so that made it even more difficult to talk about the bong situation with his mother, as he told the Baltimore Sun:

"Seeing my mom reminded me of how it was the day after I got my DUI, and I swore to myself I'd never do that again"

She definitely gave him the dreaded, "I'm not upset...I'm just disappointed" look.

Most people who have achieved the success that Phelps has would say, "alright I messed up, get over it," but not a Momma's Boy.

"My mom is the reason why I'm here today. All the values that she instilled in me, that's who my mom is: a hard worker, nothing ever given to her, worked her tail off. I am here today because of my mom."

12. Derek Jeter

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While Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter receives mostly praise from the New York press, occasionally they come after him with rumors and allegations.

In 2007 Jeter was accused of sidestepping his New York state taxes by declaring that he lived in Florida. Jeter couldn't even say two words before his mother, Dorothy, came to his aid in the New York Daily News:

"My boy does everything right—EVERYTHING right. He's paid taxes in New York for every doggone day he's been there!"

Only a mother would be deluded enough to think her baby boy never makes mistakes, but that's what makes Derek Jeter such a Momma's Boy.

10. Albert Haynesworth

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Okay, so he may not have the cleanest of records, but Albert Haynesworth is one of the best defensive players in the NFL when he has his head screwed on correctly.

Albert has always had problems with authority, and his mother, Linda, says that she used to wake him up at 6 a.m. and run a few laps around the house with him when he was a boy. After tiring out in the morning, Albert could more easily sit through classes.

After Haynesworth infamously stomped on the helmetless head of Cowboys center Andre Gurode in 2006, he seemed to straightened out his anger issues with the help of his mother.

Albert says of his mom, "When I think back about it, yeah, she was a tough parent, but she had to be tough. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here where I am today."

9. Tiger Woods

When Tiger went from being the best golfer in the world to the biggest disaster in the world in late 2009, a lot of his fans turned their backs on him.

Tiger's actions may have been unforgivable for most women, but his mother, Kultida, displayed that her love was truly unconditional.

One of the first things that Tiger did after his infamous statement was walk off the podium and give his mom a hearty embrace. When asked what she said to him after the hug, this is what she told ESPN:

"I said, 'I'm so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you and I love you.'"

When Tiger felt he had nobody in the world to turn to, he turned to his mother. That makes him a Momma's Boy.

7. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

After Floyd Mayweather, Jr. defeated Ricky Hatton in 2007, he decided that he'd had enough boxing. He said he'd lost his desire for the sport and decided to retire.

As we all know, Mayweather decided to return and has been an active fighter since his comeback fight in 2009 against Juan Manuel Marquez. Why the sudden change of heart?

Mayweather says it was his mother, Deborah, that sparked him to get back into boxing. On a trip to the Bahamas, Deborah said to Floyd, "everyone on the island keeps asking me when you're going to fight again."

The mother's guilt got to him, and Floyd couldn't stand the thought of his mom being embarrassed by not having an answer. So he decided to return to Las Vegas and begin sparring.

6. Aaron Curry

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You often hear college players talking about all the things they're going to do for their mothers once they make it to the pros.

The sentiment took on more meaning for linebacker Aaron Curry during his sophomore season at Wake Forest, when his mother, Chris, was evicted from her home. Curry went on to have a good junior year and contemplated entering the NFL draft to financially assist his family.

It ended up working out pretty nicely for everyone as Aaron had a phenomenal senior season which dramatically improved his draft status. He was taken fourth overall by the Seahawks in 2009 and signed a contract that promised him $34 million of guaranteed money.

4. Matthew Stafford

You'd think being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft would earn you some breathing room with your mother.

Breathing? Yes. Swearing? No.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford received a lesson from his mother, Margaret, after NFL Films microphones picked up the young man swearing during a game against the Browns.

Stafford apparently unleashed some unsavory language after injuring his left shoulder during a hard tackle. He eventually led his team to a comeback victory, but after the game his mother had other concerns, as she told the Detroit Free Press:

"What I didn't like about it was watching the tackle again and seeing him curled up in pain. And for the record, I might have said the same thing if I had been in his situation—but I'm still his mom and need to remind him to watch his language."

3. Landon Donovan

While Americans dominate a lot of sports, soccer is definitely not one of them. It's hard for an American player to earn enough respect to be asked to play in one of the prestigious European leagues, but that's exactly what happened to Landon Donovan.

Donovan signed a contract with Bayer Leverkusen in the highly competitive German Bundesliga, but after three months asked to be released from it. Why?